Summary of Satchin Panda's The Circadian Code

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 We are all shift workers. We follow different bedtime schedules on weekdays and weekends. The statement that we are all shift workers isn’t just an idea; data points to this fact.

#2 A single night shift has cognitive effects that can last a week. These lapses in memory or attention can make us vulnerable to bad habits. The effects on our health are also troubling, as we may inadvertently disrupt our family’s sleep patterns.

#3 We are all shift workers due to the way we live our lives. This includes workers in health services, manufacturing, construction, utility services, air transportation, and food services.

#4 The field of circadian biology was dismissed by many scientists until the mid-1970s. It was difficult to prove that humans have internal clocks, as there were no easy ways to remove all of the external timing cues.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Apr 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669389828

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Satchin Panda's The Circadian Code

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

We are all shift workers. We follow different bedtime schedules on weekdays and weekends. The statement that we are all shift workers isn’t just an idea; data points to this fact.

#2

A single night shift has cognitive effects that can last a week. These lapses in memory or attention can make us vulnerable to bad habits. The effects on our health are also troubling, as we may inadvertently disrupt our family’s sleep patterns.

#3

We are all shift workers due to the way we live our lives. This includes workers in health services, manufacturing, construction, utility services, air transportation, and food services.

#4

The field of circadian biology was dismissed by many scientists until the mid-1970s. It was difficult to prove that humans have internal clocks, as there were no easy ways to remove all of the external timing cues.

#5

The circadian rhythm is not exactly 24 hours, as the timing of sunrise to sunrise in most of the world is not precisely 24 hours. Because our planet has a tilt to its vertical axis, as it travels around the sun there are times during the year when either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere stays facing the sun longer.

#6

Our entire sense of health is guided by our daily rhythms. In the morning, being in good health means waking up feeling rested and refreshed after a good night’s sleep, having a healthy bowel movement to eliminate the toxins we collected at night, and feeling alert and light.

#7

The brain also detoxifies at night. When we sleep, brain cells absorb and process nutrients, creating unwanted toxic by-products. These toxins are cleaned up when we sleep, and new brain cells are created through the process of neurogenesis.

#8

The circadian clock is the internal timing system that interacts with the timing of light and food to produce our daily rhythms. Our job is to maintain the clock so we can live with optimal health.

#9

We know that modern humans largely evolved near the equator, and their daily activity was directed by the sun. They had to wake up before the sun came up if they wanted to be successful hunters, and they had to stay awake during the night to hunt.

#10

Fire was essential